316 CENTRAL EASTERN EUROPE

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp328–9 and pp330–31

Slovakia’s Northern Tatra Mountains

consist of three ranges: the Western

Tatras (Západné Tatry), the High Tatras

(Vysoké Tatry) and the small area of

Eastern Tatras (Belianské Tatry), a pro-

tected reserve that is closed to the public.

All of them are within the Tatra National

Park. The most spectacular range, the

High Tatras, is a major draw for hikers.

View from Around

Zuberec

The village of Zuberec, at

the mouth of the Roháčska

Valley, offers magnificent

views of Rohače, the start

of the Western Tatras.

Liptovský Hrádok

This town is famous for

its ruined 14th-century

castle, later extended

into a Renaissance pal-

ace. The palace now

houses an Ethnography

Museum dating from

the 19th century.

Tatra Mountains 5

Liptovský Mikuláš

This town, set in a valley

surrounded by peaks, is an

interesting and convenient

base for the Low Tatras.

Logo of the Tatra

National Park

Banská Bystrica 4

208 km (130 miles) NE of Bratislava.

• 82,100. £ @ n Námestie SNP
  14, (048) 415 5085.

One of the oldest towns in
Slovakia, Banská Bystrica
(Neusohl) was granted royal
privileges asso ci ated with the
mining of gold, silver and
cop per in 1255. In 1944 it
became the centre of the
Slovak National Uprising
(Slovenské národné povstanie).
The historic sights are
concentrated along the pedes-
tri anized Dolna, the large
mar ket square námestie SNP,
and Horna. The central square
is flanked by buildings of the
old castle complex. Of these,
the parish Church of Our Lady
(Nanebovzatia Panny Márie),
begun in 1255 and rebuilt in
1761, has magni ficent
Baroque furnish ings. Its great-
est treas ures are the Gothic
Altar of St Barbara, and the
Side Altar, which contains a
fine 15th-cen tury Gothic trip-
tych of St Mary Magdalene.
The cas tle com plex also
includes the Church of the
Holy Cross, the Matthias
House and the Town Hall as
well as remnants of the old
for tifi ca tions. Nearby, the
strik ing con crete SNP Museum
(SNP múzeum) is dedi cated to
Slovak history, with particular
empha sis on the 1944 Uprising
against the Nazis and the fate
of Slovak Jews.

Narodna Street, leading to the
market square in Banská Bystrica

E Church of Our Lady

Námestie Š Moyzesa. Tel (048) 412

4531. 
      

      during mass. ^

      
      

      E SNP Museum
      Námestie SNP. Tel (048) 412 3258.

      
      

      May–Sep: 9am–6pm daily;

      
      

      Oct–Apr: 9am–4pm daily. & 8

      
      

Volovec

2,064 m

(6,772 ft)

Baranec

2,184 m

(7,165 ft)

Osobitá

1,687 m

(5,535 ft)

Salatín

2,050 m

(6,726 ft)

(^)
RO
HA
ČE
Banská Bystrica
75 km (47 miles)
Sm
erč
ian
ka^
Ja
lo
ve
ck
ý^ p

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Váh

J

J

J

Liptovský

Mikuláš

Brobrovec

Prouba

Zuberec

Habovka

Liptovský

Hrádok